Machine-gun



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1. J. W. GREER. MACHINE GUN.

Patented July 1, 1890.

awmdzl 70707 W (No Model.)

J. W. GREER.

. MACHINE GUN. No. 431,515.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Jul 1,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \VILLIAM GREER, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,515, dated July 1, 1890.

Application filed April 11, 1889. Serial No. 306,894:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be itknown that 1, JOHN \VILLIAM GREER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Gun, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a series or battery of guns, and has for its object the operating of any one of the guns by the recoil of another and in succession as long as may be deemed necessary.

My invention consists, first, of a series or battery of guns arranged at suitable intervals on the periphery of a rotatable wheel, the recoil of each gun serving to bring into operative position and to operate the gun situated nearest the muzzle, each gun being turned in the same direction; secondly, to a movable breech and automatic mechanism for feeding the cartridges; thirdly, to automatic mechanism and balls released thereby for passing through the guns and cleaning them, and, fourthly, to means for changing the inclination of the guns.

My invention further consists in features of novelty to be hereinafter fully described, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In order that my invention may befully understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my automatic machine-gun, showing fixed guns. Fig. 2 is an end View, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of one of the guns of the series. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the ejector in position ready for action. Fig. 5 shows the same in the act of ejecting. Fig. 6 shows one of the guns in vertical section, and also shows the screw-rod for stopping the gun. Fig. 7 shows the screw-rod turned to permit the guns to pass. Fig. 8 shows the brake for acting on the crank-wheel. Fig. 9 is a modification showing four guns arranged side by side, and should there be five places for guns on the periphery of the wheel there would be in all twenty guns. Fig. 10 represents a series of traps for feeding cartridges to such a series as the latter.

In this gun, as has been intimated,the fore e utilized is that which is incident to the recoil this force being the result of explodin 7 D powder or other explosive substance.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents asuitable framing; 2, a large Wheel, disk, or drum, which I will hereinafter term a rotatable carrier, and which has an axle 3 solid therewith, the ends of said axle having bearing in suitable boxes at both sides of the wheel in the frame. wheel has on its periphery a number of fiattened surfaces, (in this instance five,) on each one of which a gun 4is mounted, each equally distant from the other. Any number of faces with a corresponding number of guns may be, however, provided without departing from thepresentinvention. Thegunsbeingturned in the same direction, it will be observed that when one of the guns is in position and fired the force of the recoil will cause thewheel to.

turn and the gun next in front of said gun will be brought into position and fired, and this automatic action may be kept up for a considerable length of time.

5 is a magazine inthe shape of a hopper that ends in a tube 6, a little larger than the cartridge that fits the gun. At the lower end of the tube portion is a trap 7, thatis pivoted at 8 in the sides of the tube so that it may rock. One end of this trap is shorter than the other, preferably, and both of the ends are turned down, so that when the front end of the trap is lifted one cartridge may pass out, the rear end being pressed down upon the next cartridge to retain it until the front end of the trap drops down to close the opening when it slips down against it.

As a means for operating the trap, I affix to the pivot of the same an arm 9, that is so arranged as to be tripped by one of the projec tions or pins 10 at one side of the wheel as the latter is rotated. A counter-weight 11 is fixed on the arm 9 to close the trap-door immediately after the pin 10 has passed the arm.

11' is a magazine, which, as shown in Fig. 1, is placed on the opposite side of the machine from magazine 5; or instead, without change, it may be placed directly under it, and it contains balls which are smaller than the bore of the guns, and are intended to pass As shown in Fig. 1, this through the guns while the breech is open. This magazine is similar to the magazine 5, excepting that its trap-12 is pivoted so as to operate reversely to trap 7. The same pins that trip the arm 9 of the trap 7 operate upon the arm 13 of trap 12 to open the latter. The counter-weight 14is,in this instance, fixed on the extended end of the arm 13, the pivot of the trap being between said weight and the other end. The balls referred to are made of metal, wood, or compressed paper, and are covered with asbestus or mineral wool, or other soft substance not damageable by heat, and are passed through the guns to clean them. If first soaked in water, they also cool as well as clean. A further purpose of the balls is to knock out the shells, as shown in Fig. 1. They must, however, to accomplish this enter the muzzle first and fall out at the breech. The gun may revolve at so greata speed as to render it impossible for gravity to carry the balls through the gun from the muzzle, and it will hence be apparent that in high-speed guns the magazine 11 should be under magazine 5. The speed would then aid the balls in going through; but at the same time the balls would lose their power to eject empty shells. Under this circumstance the shell -ejector wouldhave to be broughtinto operation. (See Figs. 4 and 5.)

15 represents the gun-barrel. 16 is the ejector, which has an inwardly-curved lip 17, that fits snugly in a groove in the end of the barrel, said lip also engaging underneath the flange at the bottom of the shell, so that an outward movement of the ejector will displace the shell.

18 is a guide-piece fixed to or forming part of the gun-barrel 15, the front end of the ejector being bent up at right angles to slide in said guide-piece parallel with the gun-barrel. Fixed to the front end of the ejector is a reactionary spiral spring 19, that is secured at one end to the gun-barrel. A lever 20 is pivoted to the front end of. the ejector and works loosely between a pair of pins 21 on a curved arm 22 on the gun-barrel. When this lever is engaged by a pin 23, it will be understood that the ejector is brought into action.

Fig. 3 shows a gun with its fastenings complete.

24 is the breech-block, the inner face of which is perfectly fiat to agree with the breech itself, and is provided with a center or firing pin 25, having a rebound-spring 26 coiled around it.

27 is the hammer pivoted at 28 to the end of the breech, and having a compressionspring 29 under its outer end to cause the hammer, when suddenly pulled forward, to forcibly strike the firing-pin, which, if the gun is loaded, the cartridge explodes. The breech is provided with side trunnions 30, to which are keyed connecting bars or rods 31, that are arranged on each side of a gun and extend forward, where they are provided with boxes, in which the trunnions 32, exten ing from the sides of the gun near the center of the barrel, work loosely.

33 is a strap, the ends of which are fastened to the sides of the rotary carrier, and which passes over the gun near its breech. This strap or band serves to hold the gun to the rotary carrier and to keep the connecting-rods to their places. This strap or band is rounded on its inner side, so that the gun, when turned on its pivot 34, secured in the rotary carrier, will not bring the connectingrods against sharp corners.

35 is a crossbar with downturned ends secured to the rotary carrier, and which passes over the gun near its muzzle and serves to hold the front end of the gun down to the carrier. Screws 36, having handles 37 for turning them, pass through the downturned ends of cross-bar 35 and engage sockets or bearings formed in the opposite sides of the gun. Such screws are used for getting the side range of the guns. here five guns are on a carrier, they can all be turned by these screws to shoot in a line or at diiferent points.

Concentric with the periphery of the rotary carrier 2 is a curved piece 36, bolted to the framing. This curved piece or rack is provided with teeth on its outer edge for the engagement of a gravitating pawl 37 that hangs from the upper end of a swing-frame 38, that is fastened by suitable means to the axle of the rotary carrier. On the outer side of the curved piece 36 are a series of cog-teeth 39, which are engaged by a cog-wheel 40., that projects through an opening 41 in the swingframe 38, said cog-wheel being secured at the upper end of a shaft- 42, which is journaled in boxes 43 and turned by a crank 44 at its lower end. It will be noted. that by turning the shaft 42 and raising the pawl 37 the swing-frame 38 can be moved in any direction in the plane of the rotary carrier. Now, the gun at the time of firing to be under the breech-wheel 45, whose axle passes through opposite sides of the swing-frame, and which holds the breeches of guns passing under it down to their proper place while being fired, it will be seen that any elevation up to eightyfive degrees can be obtained in the range of the gun by swinging the frame 38 around the semicircle. The same would obtain in getting a downward range, as a matter of course. After the gun passes from under the wheel 45 there is nothing to keep the breech down, and hence as soon as it rotates to about a horizontal line the breech opens by gravity and centrifugal force combined, and remains open until the horizontal line is passed on its upward course.

In Fig. 1 is shown a tank 46, which is filled with water, and in case of continued firing the guns rotating through it are kept perfectly cool and clean.

46 is a pulley (see Fig. 2) having a crank 47 and secured to one end of the axle of the wheel 2 by suitable means. This is to be used as a belt-pulley for driving the machine in IIO case the charges are not sufficient to cause the wheel to rotate. .The crank can be used to fire the first charge, or it may be used to rotate the wheel continuously should the charges be very light. A brake-shoe, as shown in Fig. 8, may be used in case the Wheel rotates too fast. a

47 is the shoe, which engages the under side of the pulley 46, and it is carried at the upper end of a powerful jack-screw 48, having a hand-wheel 49 and mounted in a frame 50. The jack-screw of course has swivel-connection with the shoe.

The pins 10 and 23 are jointed so that one or more of them may be turned up. Of course this would stop the feeding of cartridges and balls to as many guns as there were pins turned, and so the speed of rotation and rapidity of firing may thus be checked.

It will be observed that the breech 24- has a hollow recess 24 with flaring sides, which acts as a guide for the cartridges as they fall from the magazine into the gun while the breech is open. Should a cartridge, after being ejected from the magazine, fail to go'into position, the recess 24 should be large enough to close down over the cartridge without hurting it;' hence it would be carried around in the ordinary way and dumped without damage among the empty shells.

51 is a cross-bar extending from side to side of the swing-frame and having a downwardlyextending trip 52 that, when the hammer of the gun is brought against it, operates the latter and discharges the cartridge.

If it is desired to stop a gun just before it would fire automatically, I provide two powerful vertical screw-rods 53 and 54, that engage screw-threaded openings in the crossbar 51. These rods have beveled lower ends that engage in slots or recesses 55 in the upper side of the breech. In -Fig. 6 they are shown in position to stop the guns, and in Fig. 7 in position to permit their passage. These screw-rods provide for stoppage in case it is desired to load and clean the gunsby hand.

The devices for operating each gun are duplicates of each other, and have therefore been generally described singularly.

Fig. 9 shows four guns side by side, the hammers thereofbeing operated the same as in the principal form, showing a projection from the cross-piece at the top of the swinging frame for each gun.

Fig. 10 showsa series of traps connected together for feeding cartridges to four guns at a time. The feeding arrangement for the clearing-balls would be the same.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. A rotar Y carrier having guns mounted at an angle to its axis and means for rotating the carrier and bringing the guns successively to the firing and loading points, a cartridgefeeder located at one side of the carrier, and suitably-timed mechanism mounted on the carrier for operating the feeder as each gun is brought to the loading-point, substantially as specified.

2. A rotary carrier having a series of guns mounted on its periphery and means for rotating the carrier to bring the guns to the cleaning-point, in combination with a hopper located at one side of the carrier and below the axis of the same, and adapted to receive and successively discharge cleaning balls through the bore of the gun, and devices located on the carrier for operating said hopper as the muzzle of the gun is in line there with, substantially as specified.

3. A rotary carrier mounted on a horizontal axis and having a series of guns mounted 011 its periphery crosswise the axis, said carrier being adapted to partially rotate by the recoil of a fired gun, and devices arranged over the carrier for temporarily arresting its rotation, substantially as specified.

. 4. In combination with a rotary carrier having a gun or series of guns mounted thereon and means for operating the carrier, a cartridge-hopper having a trap in its lower end, an arm attached to the trap, and a projection on the carrier adapted to come into contact with said arm and actuate the trap, substantially as specified.

5. In combination with a gun or a series of guns mounted on a rotary carrier, a series of pins projecting from the side of the carrier and agreeing in number and location with the guns, of means for rotating the carrier, and a gun-cleaning ball-receiving hopper mounted at one side of and below the axis of the carrier, a trap mounted at the end of the hopper and in the path of the guns, and a trap-operating arm projecting into the path of the pins and adapted to be successively operated thereby, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with a rotary carrier, of a series of guns mounted thereon, opposite trunnions projecting from each gun near its forward end, an independent sliding breechblock mounted on each gun and having opposite trunnions, opposite longitudinal bars connecting the trunnions of the gun and breech, and a bail extending from the carrier over each of the guns and connecting-bars for limiting the movement of the latter, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with a rotary carrier having a series of guns mounted thereon and at an angle to the axis of the carrier, each of said guns being provided with looselyconnected sliding breech-blocks adapted to fall by gravity and uncover the breech of the gun when said gun is below the axial plane of the carrier, of a gun-cleaning ball-receiving hopper having a spout terminating in proximity to the perimeterof the carrier and having a trap operated by the carrier to drop a ball into the muzzle of a gun when brought opposite said trap, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with a rotary carrier, of guns mounted thereon and provided with shell-ejectors and devices mounted over the ITO provided with cranks and having their inner ends terminating in sockets orbearings formed 1n the sides of the gun,substantially as speci- 1.1. The combination, with the carrier-supporting frame and the rotatable carrier mounted thereon and guns mounted on the periphery of the carrier, of a curved double rack-bar located at one side of the carrier upon the frame, a U-shaped frame embracing the carrier and having its terminals journaled upon the shaft of the carrier, and a crankshaft mounted on the U-shaped frame and havinga pinion meshing with one of the racks, a removable holding-pawl pivoted in the U- shaped frame and engaging with the teeth of the other rack, and devices mounted in the U-shaped frame for removably engaging an adjacent gun, substantially as specified.

12. In combination with a rotary carrier having a gun or a series of guns mounted thereon, each provided with a swinging gravitating breech, means for firing a gun when the same arrives at the firing-point, a frame extending from the supporting-frame and over the carrier at the firing-point, and a breech-wheel mounted on said frame and adapted to lock the breech of the gun when at that point, substantially as specified.

13. In combination with a rotary gun-supporting carrier, a crank mounted on the axis of the carrier, and a brake-shoe adapted to engage the pulley, substantially as specified.

14. In combination with a rotary gun-carrying carrier, a crank mounted on the axis of said carrier, a jack-screw having a handwheel for turning the same, and a brake-shoe mounted on the jack-screw and adapted to take against the pulley, substantially as specified.

15. In combination with a rotary carrier and a gun mounted thereon having a breech provided with a firing-pin, a hammer mounted on the breech and engaging the pin, a retracting-spring encircling the latter, and a projection extending from a frame mounted over the carrier and into the path of the ham mer for engaging and operating the same against the tension of the spring, substantially as specified.

16. The combination,with a rotary carrier provided with a gun having a recess in its breech, of a frame arranged over the carrier and a screw-rod mounted in the frame and depending in line with and adapted to be inserted into the recess, said frame being pived to the axis of the carrier, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses. JOHN WILLIAM GREER.

\Vitnesses:

B. P. BAILEY, FRED T. CONNERLY. 

